This post is sponsored by Lumio. All opinions are my own.
Are you looking to transform your lessons into active, collaborative learning experiences that engage all of your students on their own device? If so, I encourage you to give Lumio a try! Anyone who has a device with a web browser can use it.
I get it. The last thing any teacher wants to do right now is try out something "new". The past two+ years in education have been Earth shattering and the thought of "one more thing" to learn can seem extremely daunting. I thought that same exact thing but let me tell you, I am so glad I took the time to dive into Lumio!
What is Lumio?
Lumio is a must have digital learning tool that will transform your lessons in seconds. Take an existing lesson and quickly and easily combine Google Slides, PDFs, PowerPoints and even YouTube videos into a single lesson. Choose from a wide range of virtual manipulatives, digital games and pre-made templates and activities to further enhance your lesson. Not only will Lumio increase student engagement, but it's going to save you time.
Once your lesson is created, it can be completed together as a class or in groups. Students can also complete the lesson on their own - using any device with a web browser.
Is this tool free to use?
Yes! Anyone who sets up an account automatically receives 50 MB of lesson storage and access to ALL features. This is so nice for anyone who wants to give it a try! If you have a very limited budget then all you would need to do to continue using it is delete any lessons you have stored before adding a new lesson. This would only make sense for those who only like to use the pre-made activities. But, I like to spend a lot of time creating so it would make sense for me to purchase a single plan with unlimited storage so I can keep all my lessons - (Great idea for a Donor's Choose Project!)
5 Benefits of Using Lumio in the Elementary Classroom
First, Lumio allows for a wide variety of integrations of other platforms. It works well with Google, Microsoft® as well as learning management systems. I LOVE how I can combine my Google Slides with PowerPoint slides, include PDFs and pop in YouTube videos so quickly and easily to create a lesson!
Second, one of my favorite features is the infinite cloner tool for students to drag and drop items from a pile. You just click on the image you want to automatically duplicate, select the "infinite cloner" and BOOM, drag as many copies as you would like. Therefore, the teacher never has to create stacks of the same image which can take a good chunk of time to complete. When I create my student activities in Google Slides, I always have to create those stacks. But now with Lumio, I can use the infinite cloner tool that is included and it will save me so much time.
This activity comes from my Multiplication Choice Board in Google Slides™ that I imported into Lumio.
Third, Lumio has the unique ability to provide authentic collaboration experiences as well as easily provide group work opportunities for students. Any page can become a free-form collaborative workspace where students can work on content in pairs, small groups or as a whole class. Ink, text, video links and images can all be added from their devices. For example, in the image below students could work together to mark fairy tale elements in different stories on the chart by using the ink tool to check off each box, the text tool to type in the "proof", or insert an image to mark each box.
This activity comes from my Digital Fairy Tale Elements in Google Slides™resource that I imported into Lumio.
Fourth, teachers can record directions seamlessly into each activity so students know exactly what to do and can play the directions at their own pace. What is extremely nice is that you have the ability to record up to 5 whole minutes. This is a total game changer, especially for elementary students! In the activity below I was able to leave a recording to let students know that I wanted them to type a few sentences explaining the main idea of their article as well as add an image to the light bulb that represents what they read about.
This activity comes from my Digital Nonfiction Book Report in Google Slides™ that I imported into Lumio.
Finally, Lumio has made it extremely easy for teachers to find and assign activities without having to create anything themselves. Hundreds of ready-made resources and templates can be used. I LOVE the virtual manipulatives that Lumio created. Many people found my blog when I published the post A Collection of Virtual Math Manipulatives last year. Lumio has similar ones built right into their platform!
Overall Lumio makes it so easy to integrate into the elementary classroom thanks to their training page that contains step by step video tutorials and explanations. They even put together informative tool kits for game based learning, ELL, SEL, formative assessment and active learning strategies.
Are you ready to give Lumio a try? If so, sign up for your free account HERE.
